Wall can opener

ABSTRACT

A wall can opener comprises a knurled wheel and a circular knife adapted to clamp a can between them and to be driven by a crank whereby the knife cuts through the top of the can. The crank is arranged on the same side of the opener as the knife, and the crank shaft is perpendicular to the wall and spaced with respect to the knife, so that the crank may freely turn past the clamped can. The crank shaft is coupled with the knurled wheel by means of a transmission.

United States Patent Theodorus Cornelis Marie Van Der Kroft Valkeuswaard. Netherlands 795,253 Jan. 30. 1969 July 27, 1971 Brabantia AG Zug, Switzerland Feb. 13,1968 Netherlands 6801995 Inventor Appl. No. Filed Patented Assignee Priority WALL CAN OPENER [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2.411.099 ll/l946 Long 30/9 X 3,083,455 4/l963 Marden 30/9 Primary E.raminer-Othell M. Simpson A!t0meyWaters, Roditi, Schwartz & Nissen ABSTRACT: A wall can opener comprises a knurled wheel and a circular knife adapted to clamp a can between them and PATENTED JUL27 |97| SHEET 1 OF 4 PATENTEU JUL27 i9?! sum 2 OF 4 PATENTEB JUL27-t97l SHEET 3 OF 4 WALL CAN OPENER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The invention relates to a wall can opener, and in particular to a wall can opener wherein the rim of a can is clamped between a knurled wheel and a circular knife which are coupled with each other in an active position of the knife, and which may be rotated by means of a crank, so that the knife cuts through the top of the can.

In the conventional wall can openers of this kind, the crank and the knife are arranged on different sides of the opener, and the crank shaft is parallel to the wall on which the opener is attached. Since the crank must be able to turn freely past the wall, the crankshaft must be spaced from the wall at a relatively large distance, so that the opener protrudes far from the wall.

It has been proposed to avoid this difficulty, at least partially, by providing a holder attached to the wall, and adapted to receive the opener in two mutually perpendicular positions. If the opener is not in use, it is placed close to the wall, so that it does not present an obstacle. However, this solution has the disadvantage that an additional operation is necessary before a can may be opened.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the main object of the invention to provide a wall can opener protruding from the wall a minimum distance both during use and between use.

According to the invention, the crank is arranged on the same side of the opener as the knife. The crankshaft is perpendicular to the wall and spaced with respect to the knife at such a distance that the crank may freely rotate past the clamped can. The crankshaft is coupled with the shaft of the knurled wheel by means ofa transmission.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the crankshaft and the shaft of the knurled wheel'each carry a gear, and the gears are intercoupled by means of at least one intermediate gear.

In the conventional wall can openers, the knife has a rest position in which it is spaced from the knurled wheel, so that the can may be readily inserted. At the beginning of the rotation of the crank, the knife moves toward the knurled wheel and is coupled with the same. After the can has been opened, the crank is rotated in reverse direction, whereby the knife is returned to its rest position, and the can is released.

It is another object of the invention to provide simple and inexpensive means for obtaining the same operation in a wall can opener of the abovementioned kind, wherein the crank and the knife are arranged on the same side of the opener.

For this purpose, the knife is rotatably supported on a lever which is kept in a rest position by a spring, and which may be brought into an active position by a spring, and which may be brought into an active position by a cam freely rotatable about the shaft of an intermediate gear. The cam is coupled with the intermediate gear in the rest position of the lever, but this coupling is interrupted when the lever reaches its active position. When the intermediate gear is rotated in reverse direction, the coupling is restored.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention. the cam is coupled with the intermediate gear by a coupling member which is slidable in a radial recess of the cam, and which is urged outwardly by a spring in its coupling position, so that the coupling member extends beyond the circumference of the cam. When the lever reaches its active position, the coupling member is pressed inwardly, whereby the coupling is interrupted.

Further objects of the invention will appear from the description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a rear view of a wall can opener according to the invention, wherein the back plate is removed and the gears are only partially shown, in order that the underlying parts are rendered visible.

FIG. 2 is a cross section taken on line Il-II in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a rear view of the opener shown in FIG. 1, showing the back plate and the means for attaching the opener to the wall.

FIG. 4 shows schematically the operation of the means for displacing the lever on which the knife is supported.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring to the drawing, the wall can opener as shown comprises four gears 1,2, 3, and 4, arranged in such manner that successive gears are in engagement with each other. The gears are made of a synthetic material, such as a polyamide, and are rotatably supported on one side in a metal housing 5 having upturned edges, and on the other side in a metal back plate 6, attached to the housing by means of screws 7. The back plate has been omitted in FIG. 1 for the sake of clarity.

The gear 1 is mounted on the shaft of a crank 8 which is provided with a handle 9 made of a synthetic plastic material. A knurled wheel 10 (cf. FIG. 2), which is mounted on the shaft of gear 4, cooperates with a circular knife 11. In the rest position of the opener, the knife 11 is spaced at some distance above the knurled wheel 10, so that a can to be opened may be readily inserted therebetween. The can is placed with its sidewall against the knurled wheel 10, so as to be supported by a plate 12, which is attached to the housing 5 by means of a twisted lip 13. Upon rotation of the crank in counterclockwise direction, as seen in FIG. 1, the knife 11 is moved toward the knurled wheel 10 in a manner to be described hereinafter, whereby the rim of the can is clamped between the knife and the knurled wheel. At the same time, the knife is coupled with the knurled wheel by means ofa pair of gears 14 and 15. Upon continued rotation of the crank in the same direction, the knurled wheel and the knife are driven in rotation, whereby the knife cuts through the top of the can. After the can has been opened, the crank is rotated in reverse direction, whereby the knife 11 is removed from the knurled wheel 10, so that the can is released.

The manner in which the knife is brought into its active position, and returned to its rest position after the can has been opened, will now be described.

For this purpose, the knife 11 is rotatably supported on a lever 16, reinforced by an upturned edge 17, and guided by an angle member 18 attached to the upturned edge of the housing 5. A recess 19 having the shape of a pyramid is formed in the lever 16 by deep drawing a portion thereof. The knife 11 is rotatable about a shaft 20 secured to one of the side faces of the lever at recess 19 (cf. FIG. 2).

The lever 16 is pivotable about a fulcrum 21. A spring 22 serves to keep the lever in a rest position which has been shown in dotted lines in FIGS. 1 and 4. In this rest position, the knife 11 is spaced at some distance from the knurled wheel 10. The lever 16 may be brought into anactive position by means of a cam 23, which is freely rotatable on the shaft of the intermediate gear 2, and which is preferably made of a synthetic plastic material, such as a polyamide. In the rest position of the opener, the cam 23 is coupled with the intermediate gear 2, so that it is taken along when the crank 8 is rotated, whereby the lever 16 is brought into its active position. As soon as this active position has been reached, the cam is decoupled from the gear 2, so that the gear may rotate during the cutting operation without taking along the cam. Upon reverse rotation of the crank 8, after the can has been opened, the cam is again coupled with the gear 2, so that the lever 16 is released, and returned to its rest position by the spring 22.

The coupling between the gear 2 and the cam 23 is achieved by a coupling member 24, which is slidable in a radial recess of the cam. In the rest position of the opener, the coupling member 24 is pushed to the outside by a spring 25 so as to extend outside the circumference of the cam, as shown on the left in FIG. 1. As soon as the cam has been turned through such an angle as to engage the lever l6, the coupling member is pushed in, whereby the coupling between the cam 23 and the gear is interrupted.

The coupling member 24 is provided with an axial projection extending from the cam at its rear side. This projection serves to couple the cam with the gear 2. In the decoupling position, i.e. when the coupling member has been pushed in, the projection lies in an annular groove 26 of the gear 2, so that the gear may turn freely without taking the cam along. in the coupling position, i.e. when the coupling member has been pushed to the outside by the spring 25, the projection lies in recess 27 provided in the outer wall of the groove 26, whereby the cam and the gear are intercoupled. One of the substantially radial sidewalls 28 of the recess 27 extends inwardly a larger distance than the other sidewall, so as to form an abutment. During the cutting operation, the gear 2 rotates in clockwise direction, as seen in FIGS. 1 and 4, so that the projection of the coupling member does not engage said abutment, and the coupling member may pass unimpededly. Upon reverse rotation of the crank, after the can has been opened, the abutment engages the projection of the coupling member, so that the cam 23 is returned to its rest position. The coupling member is thereby released from the lever 16, so that it may return to its original coupling position. The lever 16 is returned to the rest position by the spring 22, whereby the knife 1] is removed from the knurled wheel 10. In the rest position, the can 23 lies against an abutment 29.

FIG. 3 shows how the opener may be secured to a wall. For this purpose, a holder 30 having substantially the shape of a trapezium and provided with inclined forwardly directed edges 31, is secured to the wall by means of screws. The back plate 6 of the opener is provided with backwardly directed lips 32 cooperating with the edges 31. Thus, the opener may be slid with its lips 32 onto the holder.

As shown in FIG. 2, a protective cap 33 is provided above the knife 11. This cap is secured by means of projections 34, clamped in slots of forwardly directed lips of the housing 5.

Although the invention has been described hereinbefore by reference to a specific embodiment, the invention is not restricted to this embodiment, and may be modified in various ways within the scope of the appended claims.

lclaim:

l. A wall can opener, comprising a housing, a knurled wheel, a shaft for said knurled wheel rotatably supported in said housing, a circular knife adapted to occupy a rest position and an active position and to clamp the rim of a can in its active position together with said knurled wheel, means for coupling said knife in rotation with said knurled wheel in the active position of said knife, a crank including a crankshaft, arranged on the same side of the opener as said knife and spaced from said knife at such a distance that said crank may freely rotate past a clamped can, a transmission coupling said crankshaft with the shaft of said knurled wheel and including a first gear mounted on said crankshaft, a second gear mounted on the shaft of said knurled wheel, and at least one intermediate gear coupling said first gear with said second gear and including a shaft, for displacing said knife and a lever pivotably supported in said housing and adapted to occupy a rest position and an active position, a first spring connected to said lever to urge said lever to its rest position, a cam freely rotatable about the shaft of said intermediate gear and adapted to engage said lever to move the same to its active position, a coupling member slidable in a radial recess in said cam between a coupling position in which said cam is coupled in rotation with said intermediate gear and a decoupling position in which the cam is decoupled from the intermediate gear, said coupling member extending beyond the circumference of said cam in said coupling position and within the circumference in said decoupling position, and a second spring ur i ng said coupling member to said coupling position, said coup mg member being pushed into its decoupling position upon contact of said cam with said lever when said cam moves the lever to its active position, said coupling member being returned to coupling position by reverse rotation of said intermediate gear at which time the lever moves to its rest position.

2. A wall can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling member is provided with an axial projection, said intermediate gear being provided with an annular groove receiving said axial projection in the decoupling position of said coupling member, and with a radial recess in the outer wall of said annular groove receiving said axial projection in the coupling position of said coupling member, the said groove being provided with a camming surface shaped in such a manner to pass said coupling member during a cutting operation but to carry the coupling member along upon reverse rotation of said intermediate gear so as to release said coupling member from said lever.

3. A wall can opener as claimed in claim 2 wherein the radial recess is bounded by substantially radial sidewalls, one of the substantially radial sidewalls of said radial recess extending inwardly a greater distance than the other sidewall so as to form an abutment constituting said camming surface and which passes said axial projection during the cutting operation, but engages said axial projection upon reverse rotation of said intermediate gear. 

1. A wall can opener, comprising a housing, a knurled wheel, a shaft for said knurled wheel rotatably supported in said housing, a circular knife adapted to occupy a rest position and an active position and to clamp the rim of a can in its active position together with said knurled wheel, means for coupling said knife in rotation with said knurled wheel in the active position of said knife, a crank including a crankshaft, arranged on the same side of the opener as said knife and spaced from said knife at such a distance that said crank may freely rotate past a clamped can, a transmission coupling said crankshaft with the shaft of said knurled wheel and including a first gear mounted on said crankshaft, a second gear mounted on the shaft of said knurled wheel, and at least one intermediate gear coupling said first gear with said second gear and including a shaft, for displacing said knife and a lever pivotably supported in said housing and adapted to occupy a rest position and an active position, a first spring connected to said lever to urge said lever to its rest position, a cam freely rotatable about the shaft of said intermediate gear and adapted to engage said lever to move the same to its active position, a coupling member slidable in a radial recess in said cam between a coupling position in which said cam is coupled in rotation with said intermediate gear and a decoupling position in which the cam is decoupled from the intermediate gear, said coupling member extending beyond the circumference of said cam in said coupling position and within the circumference in said decoupling position, and a second spring urging said coupling member to said coupling position, said coupling member being pushed into its decoupling position upon contact of said cam with said lever when said cam moves the lever to its active position, said coupling member being returned to coupling position by reverse rotation of said intermediate gear at which time the lever moves to its rest position.
 2. A wall can opener as claimed in claim 1, wherein said coupling member is provided with an axial projection, said intermediate gear being provided with an annular groove receiving said axial projection in the decoupling position of said coupling member, and with a radial recess in the outer wall of said annular groove receiving said axial projection in the coupling position of said coupling member, the said groove being provided with a camming surface shaped in such a manner to pass said coupling member during a cutting operation but to carry the coupling member along upon reverse rotation of said intermediate gear so as to release said coupling member from said lever.
 3. A wall can opener as claimed in claim 2 wherein the radial recess is bounded by substantially radial sidewalls, one of the substantially radial sidewalls of said radial recess extending inwardly a greater distance than the other sidewall so as to form an abutment constituting said camming surface and which passes said axial projection during the cutting operation, but engages said axial projection upon reverse rotation of said intermediate gear. 